Rival Foods

Rival Foods is a Dutch food technology company that specializes in producing plant-based whole-cut meat and fish alternatives. It was founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Wageningen University & Research by Dr. Birgit Dekkers (CEO) and Ernst Breel. The company's foundation lies in Dr. Dekkers' PhD research, which started in 2014, focusing on creating textures from plant-based proteins. Breel, with a background in physics and experience in commercializing university technologies, joined to scale the technology. In September 2024, after five years, Ernst Breel stepped down from his operational role but remains available for advice.

The company's core innovation is its patented Shear Cell Technology, a process that uses temperature and rotation to align plant proteins, creating a fibrous and layered texture that mimics the complexity and mouthfeel of animal muscle tissue. This method is described as a mild process, akin to a pressure cooker with a rotating part, which requires less energy than common high-moisture extrusion techniques and allows for the use of a wide variety of plant proteins. The result is clean-label products with minimal ingredients—typically using fewer than seven—such as water, plant proteins (soy, wheat, pea), natural flavors, and spices, free from artificial additives.

Rival Foods operates on a B2B-first business model, collaborating with food service clients, retailers, and food brands across Europe, including in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. It provides products like plant-based chicken fillets, blocks, and pulled chicken, with beef and fish alternatives under development. The company's goal is to fill a market gap for high-quality, whole-cut alternatives to the more common processed plant-based items like burgers and sausages. By scaling its production, Rival Foods aims to achieve price parity with conventional meat, making sustainable options more accessible. The company has secured significant funding to support this mission, including a €6 million Series A round in 2022 and a €10 million Series B round in June 2025, which is being used to double production capacity at its Geldrop facility.

Keywords: Shear Cell Technology, plant-based whole-cuts, meat alternatives, food technology, B2B food service, clean label, sustainable protein, fibrous texture, Wageningen University spin-off, alternative protein, plant-based chicken, food manufacturing, food innovation, plant-based beef, meat substitute, culinary plant-based, food processing, sustainable food, European food tech, protein transition